A Cardano block is a collection of transactions that are grouped together and verified as a unit. It's similar to a page in a ledger. Each block contains a hash, which is a unique cryptographic code that identifies the block and its contents. Once a block is created, it's added to the blockchain, which is a public, distributed database. This process is known as block production. The creation of new blocks is carried out by staking pools, which are groups of individuals who contribute their ADA to secure the network. Blocks play a crucial role in the Cardano network by recording transactions, ensuring security, and providing a historical record.
Block 5178346 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 18453823 epoch_slot_no: 137023 block_no: 5178169 slot_leader_id: 5037723 size: 7292 time: 2021-01-07 11:48:34 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x88fec0f0ed7a26577efd8470300489dca9b681fdf957fcf3d8e5ae3a9e77b15dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lsxg98f3apxppqftca7n35r8jtdxwprfhh4flmps4wmrzx35gspqpp76jz op_cert: \xb983f36281e3534f4f20e0db8daaa56a2b1a45e1b7c32241356b52fc006c594c op_cert_counter: 1